Best-Ever Chocolate Quinoa Cake

December 4, 2013

I know I’m supposed to be baking Christmas cookies and peppermint bark but I couldn’t help myself with this one. I made it on Saturday morning and between the two of us, the entire thing is gone already. Actually, I was joyfully looking forward to last piece for dessert tonight but a certain someone got to it first. He’s lucky I love him.

So this cake, it’s almost too good to be true. To start, it’s completely flourless, yet the texture is so soft and moist, you will swear it is made from good old whitey mcbleachy.

It’s also naturally gluten-free without the help of starches or gums and oh, most importantly, it’s the most decadent chocolate cake you will ever have.

The base of this cake is made from quinoa. Not quinoa flour, but cooked quinoa.

I know it sounds complicated but it’s actually pretty easy. You mix the quinoa with eggs, milk {I used almond milk}, butter {I used a mixture of Earth Balance and coconut oil} and vanilla extract in a blender, add it to a bowl of unsweetened cocoa powder that’s sifted with a few basics like salt, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder, and then poof!

But wait, then there’s the frosting…oh, the frosting. Two ingredients y’all. Coconut cream and chocolate. Yeah, you will want to smash your face into it.

It might even make for a good facial but I can’t quite guarantee that one.

If you use vegan chocolate then the cake and the frosting are completely dairy free {not vegan!}. If I could figure out how to make it without sugar, I’m sure I’d be rich. But it is dessert, after all, and one cup of sugar ain’t so bad. If you cut into sixteen pieces then it’s only 14 grams of sugar per slice. For as good as this cake tastes, it’s more than worth it.

The original recipe {from the book Quinoa 365} uses a little more sugar and 3/4 cup butter in the batter so if that’s your thing then feel free to replace the Earth Balance and coconut oil with buttah.

The icing, however, I recommend trying as is. Even if you aren’t a coconut fan, I bet you will love it. You can’t even taste the coconut! It’s smooth, creamy and chocolately, just like real dairy icing. I’m officially in love.

Preheat the oven to 350°F and then line two round cake pans (or a 9x13” pan) with parchment paper.

In a food processor or blender, combine the eggs, almond milk (or preferred milk) and vanilla extract then blend for ten seconds to combine.

Add the cooked and cooled quinoa along with the melted and cooled Earth Balance and coconut oil (could also use all regular butter) then blend until completely smooth, about thirty seconds to one minute.

Sift together the dry ingredients in a large bowl (cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt).

Add the wet ingredients in the blender to the bowl with the dry and mix together until well-combined.

Divide the batter between the two pans and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool.

To make the frosting you will need to refrigerate the coconut milk overnight (in the coldest part of your refrigerator) so that the cream separates.

When you are ready to make it, melt the chocolate in a sauce pan over low-medium heat. Grab the coconut milk from the refrigerator but don’t shake the can or turn it upside down before opening. Open the can and scoop out the solid parts with a spoon, placing them into the pot with the chocolate. It’s okay if it the solid parts on completely separated, just try to get as much of the thicker portions as possible. Melt the coconut cream and chocolate together then transfer to a large bowl that you can later use to whip it in. (note: if the melted chocolate/coconut milk mixture still appears really dark you can add more coconut milk to lighten it up so that the end result isn't bitter)

Allow to cool on the counter then cover and refrigerate for several hours, until thickened. Once it has thickened, remove from the refrigerator and beat on high for thirty seconds to one minute, until a fluffy icing has formed. (I made mine the night before baking the cake).

Transfer the cakes to a surface for icing with the bottom side up. I recommend that you only transfer the cakes once as they are fragile and difficult to hold together once removed from the parchment paper.

Frost the cake and refrigerate until ready to serve. The icing will melt in really warm conditions but should be fine for a few hours in cooler settings.

Notes

*approximately 3/4 cup dry quinoa will yield 2 cups cooked quinoa. I like to soak it overnight, rinse and then cook it in 1.5 cup water by bringing the water to a boil, adding the quinoa and then reducing to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes. Quinoa should be soft and fluffy, you don’t want any crunchy pieces in the cake!

note: using light coconut milk may result in undesirable results for the icing

(time does not include chilling coconut milk overnight or chilling the icing after it's made)

I kind of want to faceplant into my computer screen right now. This looks so fantastic. You could replace the 1 cup of sugar with 1/2 cup Stevia? Or Stevia baking blend? That might work!Paige@FitNotFad recently posted…Arms and Abs Workout + Trader Joe’s Escursion

Wow you are a GENIUS! Seriously!!! I will be sharing this with my brother who is recently GLUTEN FREE! His Girlfriend has NO IDEA what to bake for him!! THANK YOU :DGiGi Eats Celebrities recently posted…Evil Weight Gain Doesn’t Stand a Chance!

This version (with eggs) was very delicate so I don’t think a flax version would hold together. Adding xanthan gum might help but it would probably take some experimentation. Please let me know if you end up trying it!

Ive made this with flax instead of eggs a few times(several family members are allergic) and it comes out more like a torte. It’s DELICIOUS. Different than the original recipe’s texture, but still amazing.

I DO want to smash my face into that frosting. This cake looks phenomenal, Sarah, and I’m super intrigued by the fact that it’s made with cooked quinoa rather than quinoa flour. Definitely saving this for when I’m finished with the Christmas cookies and candies.Amanda @ .running with spoons. recently posted…. currently – december 2013 .

I LOOOVE quinoa cake! I use a recipe from this cookbook, Quinoa 365 and it is so wonderful. Except I use overripe bananas in place of the oil/butter. I haven’t tried frosting it though. YUM. I like the sound of the coconut whip. Want right now…Jo @ Living Mint Green recently posted…Natures Valium.

I’m pretty sure the original recipe for this cake is from that book too. I love the idea of using banana in place of the butter and oil. Have you blogged about this cake? If not, you should. I would love to see your version.

And the coconut icing will freakin’ blow your mind. You have to try it!

Oh my goodness, i want this! I’m so intrigued by the use of cooked quinoa in this…because while I never have quinoa flour, I always have quinoa around ;-)Sam @ Better With Sprinkles recently posted…Brussels Sprouts with Sweet Potato and Bacon.

oh my gosh, this is the most brilliant idea! genius!!! And it looks heavenly, not like most gluten-freen, grain-free, etc, etc, etc!Ashley @ Power, Love, and Self-Discipline recently posted…Single Leg Training

Winter light is the WORST!! This cake definitely still looks delicious and moist and everything that I want – no neeedddddd – in my mouth right now. #twss ;) And it’s made with quinoa! Love it!Becky @ Olives n Wine recently posted…Pile on the Miles – Challenge Recap!

Story of my life. My husband gets to every last piece of everything first. lol. I’ve even gone to extreme lengths of hiding things from him! And not just dessert … hummus, yogurt, peanut butter. You name it, he’s eaten it on me : )

And this cake looks pretty amazing … but I’m still kinda shocked it’s made with quinoa! So cool!Ashley recently posted…Pineapple Pork Fried Rice

Oh my goodness! I am so glad I stumbled over your blog today – and when I saw this recipe I knew I had found a kindred spirit. This is going on my To Bake list for 2014. Thanks for sharing!Amy recently posted…Spirit of the Season Blondies

O.M.G. Chocolate cake is my favorite dessert out of all the desserts in the whole world! I pretty much never make it because I can’t resist the urge to eat half the damn cake in one sitting, but I definitely think I need to give this a try! It sounds so interesting and looks so yummy! And to think, I somehow almost missed this post…Nicole @ Foodie Loves Fitness recently posted…Work it Out Wednesday: The Warm Me Up Winter Workout

Thanks! Also I noticed in step 4 that for the dry ingredients it missed including sugar (Sift together the dry ingredients in a large bowl (cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt)). I was able to catch it before I poured the batter into the pan but just wanted to let you know so you could include it. The cake is out of the over now and smells delicious. Just waiting for it to cool a bit as well as the frosting. Can’t wait to try it!

You could probably use coconut sugar but I’m not sure how it would taste. The cocoa powder might overpower it enough not to notice. I think maple syrup would change the texture too much but you never know unless you try! Let me know how it turns out if you do. :)

I think it is the sentence “if you use vegan chocolate then the cake and the frosting are completely dairy free” that people are finding an issue with. May be more clear to say “if you use vegan chocolate and a vegan egg replacer product…” Looking fwd to trying this recipe soon, with three birthdays approaching!

Hi Patricia! I have sourced the recipe from the blog that I found it from. It is possible that she got it from your book. If you would like me to source you as well, I would be more than happy to. It’s a great recipe, thank you! :)

Awesome ^_^
To avoid the white sugar you can use coconut sugar, you get a ton of minerals from it, so it’s much healthier and will still be sweet and delicious!
Or you could go with stevia, a healthy alternative too:)

Hi Laura! You might want to try it as cupcakes first since it had a hard time holding together even with real egg. I think cupcakes would hold together better. But yes, please let me know how it turns out! :)

What kind of quinoa do you suggest? Thank you I am looking forward of trying this. I too would like to make them into cupcakes. I’m looking forward to checking out more of your recipes this is the first I’ve seen and looks delish! Thank you, Sarah.

I am baking this in the oven as I type! I did find that when I added the cooked quinoa to the wet ingredients my blender struggled and it is a Vitamix!! It was very thick coming out so I added another 1/3 almond milk to thin it out so it resembled a batter rather than a dough (That may turn into cookies on another day!) I also substituted the sugar for 2/3 cup of agave and reduced the cocoa powder to 3/4 cup. Waiting for it to bake and can’t wait to try it!

I was wondering the same thing too, since you said to put it in a bowl you can whip it in later, but then you never mention the whipping step. Might be a good idea to add that in to the instructions ? In any case, I am excited to try this, it looks amazing and I love the idea of the coconut cream icing!! =)

I have quinoa at home and everything else to bake this cake tonight!!!! I’m drooling. I might try coconut sugar instead of white sugar, I’ve had success with it in banana bread and there is no bitter aftertaste like Stevia. It is a darker sugar though, so you get a hint of molasses-y flavor.Heather HotMitts Santos recently posted…Stumbled upon Great Depression Era Cooking with Clara

Have you considered replacing the sugar with honey? Honey is actually sweeter than sugar; and it includes a digestive enzyme which aids in its breakdown, with less stress on your insulin levels …

I have been working on a breakfast banana bread, swapping out (though not entirely) wheat flour for others higher in protein and fibre, and have replaced 1.5 cups of sugar in that recipe with 1 cup of honey and no one has been able to taste the difference (and they would, believe me) …

This looks unreal! Can you clarify the icing prep for me though…you chill the coconut cream, then melt it with the chocolate, then chill it again, then whip it till its fluffy? Or no whipping? I didn’t see that part. Thanks for your help! Can’t wait to try this!

Just came across your blog yesterday and tried this recipe and oh…em…gee it is so delish! The cake is so moist and the frosting…oh the frosting! Love that you get protein from the quinoa in a dessert! Can’t wait to try some of your veggie burger/fritter recipes! You have a new follower for sure!

Sounds amazing! Will definitely make! I’m thinking of cutting a bit of the fat by using unsweetened applesauce for the butter… using light coconut milk (still refridgerated overnight) but mixing in some chocolate whey protein isolate for sweetness, protein & thickness to the frosting!

I’m going to try this recipe this weekend. It looks amazing. Have you ever tried using coconut sugar? Also instead of the chocolate chips for the icing how about carob chips? I’ll yet you know how this works out!!

I’m thinking I’ll try freezing the cake overnight to be able to handle it more easily, out of the pan, since it may bit a bit fragile. I learned this working in a bakery years ago. Makes frosting the cake easier too, since the frosting will adhere to the cake easier. Will taste test the whole lovely project with my classmates at a massage clinic this Sunday. Thanks Sarah, very happy to have found your treasure recipes!

Tried it, tweaked the sugar a bit (palm sugar, and less of it) and froze the layers. Holy cows this is an EXCELLENT cake. 8 massage students and a teacher can;t be wrong! The other fun thing is it keeps much longer than say, gluten or even ‘traditional’ flour recipes…and just knowing you’re eating something ‘good for you’ is the icing on the cake…which, by the way is soooo good. It’s like a less-sweet ganache, or chocolate ice-cream.

Thanks for the recipe. This is cooling on the counter right now and I’m just waiting for the icing to cool before whipping it. It smells delicious! :) I made it in a smaller square pan (9×9 I think) – took longer to bake, closer to 45 mins but made for a thicker one-layer cake.

Oh wow is this ever GOOD! My 8yr old told me it was the best cake he has ever eaten! Pretty high praise! Made it exactly as written in a 9×13 pan. Already sent the link and pics to 5 friends! Thank you for the recipie!

Thank you so much for sharing this. I made this cake yesterday and it’s a hit! and my recently gf daughter was so happy for it. :) the smile on her face made me so happy. It is just as sinfully delicious as you described and as it looks in the pictures. I agree with your suggestion of baking it as a double layer as it does not rise too much. It was my first time using quinoa and I was amazed at the results-tastes great. Only thing (which is my fault) is I wish I read the entire recipe before I stared as I had a Homer Simpson “Doh” moment when I hit the part about about soaking the quinoa over night. :) I saw the part about refrigerating the coconut milk but not the other part about the quinoa. :) lol. Just a suggestion to advise readers to read the entire recipe thoroughly before starting or TIPS at the top with the ingredients list with things to prepare the day before maybe. But I made it anyway without soaking the quinoa over night and it was perfect!! I really just came on here to say WOW. That cake is mind blowing! and I’m so glad you shared it and that my friend Aneila was so thoughtful to share it with me. I finally have a keeper that makes my gf daughter happy…and that makes me feel great. :)

I made a test version of this cake. It came out of the oven while my husband had a bunch of guys over. I tried it out on them without the icing to see if I should bother to make a pretty one with icing. Every single one of them loved it and trust me, they’re not ones to mince words or spare feelings. :) My three kids also loved it so I turned my test cake into a brownie-style snack for us and I’m in the middle of making a real one for company. Thank you so much for this recipe! It’s so fun!

I am excited to try this! I have tried quinoa FLOUR before in my baking and never liked the texture. I use whole grain organic pastry flour for all my goodies now and it is delightful and almost guilt-free. This certainly looks like it’s worth a try! We have been on a health kick for a few years now and do not use sugar or refined flour that’s not whole grain any more. I substitute oil with applesauce (but sometimes I cheat and put in 2 tbsp. of oil or butter). As far as sweetener, we have switched to using a combination of Stevia and Xylitol. Xylitol is a life saver when it comes to sweetener, doesn’t leave that strange aftertaste, but very expensive and really healthy for you! So I typically use 1/2 xylitol and 1/2 stevia for all my desserts (I mostly make muffins). As far as icing, I usually blend my own almonds until it becomes almond butter, then add xylitol, vanilla, a splash of almond milk, dash of salt and cocoa powder… better than anything you can buy in the store! Try that one next time if you like almonds, that is. Anyway, good to see I’m not the only health freak! :-) I will try this next week, thanks for the recipe and will be sure to let you know how mine comes out!

Thank you for replying so quickly :). One problem though…everyone loved the cake so much it finished in no time…so my gf daughter, Sarah didn’t quite get enough…now I need to make it again tomorrow. :) Thank you for sharing pics of your trips and experiences as well. I’m dying to go to Europe so I really had a pleasant surprise when I explored your website further.

Delicious …a hit with the family today! I used real butter, a mix of 1/2cup of white and 1/2cup of coconut sugar, Rodelle dutch dark chocolate. Baked in a 9×12 cake pan. For the frosting, I ended up using some chilled coconut milk which had been removed from the can a few days before …all of it ended up thickening nicely. I used Costco’s 60% dark chocolate chips also. I’ve seen another recipe that used whipped cream so I may try that next time.
It was absolutely delicious! Rich chocolatey, dense cake …yummy!

No, I used semi sweet as well. But if you used light coconut milk or not enough coconut cream, then that would result in a bitter flavor. You could always add a little honey or maple syrup to sweeten it though.

It sounds like there was something wrong with your coconut milk. Semi-sweet chocolate isn’t bitter – it’s the same chocolate used in chocolate chip cookies and is usually 40-50% sugar. So if your frosting was bitter, my guess is that the culprit was the other ingredient – your coconut milk was probably going off. If semi-sweet chocolate always tastes bitter to you, though, and you know you like milk chocolate better, then may as well use that! The frosting is just a dairy-free ganache so as long as you like dairy, there’s no reason not to make it with milk chocolate :-) Nomnomnom.

I can’t wait to try playing with a no-eggs version, probably using Ener-G egg replacer powder. Two people posted this on my Facebook newsfeed. I fell in love with the picture right away and wanted to taste the screen! Your picture was great. (I know what you mean about winter light picture taking, though. I can’t post my newest recipe because the pictures were awful. I’ll have to make it again.) The frosting – I must try the frosting! Mmmm. Thanks for the recipe!Pixie recently posted…Ginger Lemon Tea

My cake looks and tastes just like you say. I made the frosting with cream cheese and milk instead of coconut milk because that was what I had on hand. Warning though – there’s a reason to divide it into 16 servings – it is chocolate overload with all that cocoa. Not something for small children or eating at night. Love the flavour though. Thanks!

I’m so excited to try this cake! It’s baking as we speak. I’m a little confused about the icing part though. I am baking my cake in a foil 9×13 pan. Do I still need to flip the cake over once it is cooked and cooled to put the icing on it, or can I just ice it the way it is in the pan, right side up? Does it make a difference? Thanks for the recipe!

This recipe was shared by a dear friend on Facebook. Having just finished the 10 Days of Real Food challenge, and having quite enjoyed it (I ate a great deal of quinoa), I immediately was intrigued by this recipe. I vowed to make it and yesterday (February 1, 2014) was the day. First, I approached this recipe with great trepidation . . . I simply could not get my head around what the end texture would be like. Well dear friends, this is NOTHING short of phenomenal; absolute gastronomical genius. I made it exactly as written, using the prescribed mix of coconut oil and butter. I whizzed all of the ingredients in my Nutribullet, making certain the texture was smooth. I baked it in a 9 x 13 Pyrex pan, greased with coconut oil, but not parchment-lined. I used bitter-sweet fair trade Nicaraguan couverture pastilles for the chocolate and the highest fat (17%) coconut milk I could find. I cooled this mixture quite rapidly by putting the stainless steel bowl in a convenient 2 foot snowbank in the backyard *S*. I found the texture of the cake more akin to that of a dense, moist brownie, but this was ‘lightened’ up by the creamy frosting. I would make this again in a heart beat.

I made a test cake today for a birthday that’s coming up. My icing sure doesn’t look like the picture. Mine is bitter (used semi sweet chips) and not fluffy at all, and very very sticky. Any ideas what I did wrong?

It’s possible you used too little coconut cream (or maybe you used light coconut milk?). If you didn’t throw it away then you could re-melt it and add more coconut milk until the color looks light enough. Then re-chill it and whip after solidified.

I followed the instructions for the quinoa. Is it supposed to absorb all the water, or am I supposed to drain it. I cooked it for about 1/2 hour so it would absorb. My package of quinoa only recommends 1.5x water to quinoa, yet your recommendation uses 3x. My quinoa is not light and fluffy. Quite mushy. Starting over, no time to soak it though. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Great recipe! However, as a celiac, I feel I should let you know that you can only be certain that this recipe is gluten free as long as you use a gluten free baking powder – most are not…
Also, you must check the chocolate chips to be sure that there is no risk of cross contamination :)

I made this today so we could have something sweet to eat during the Super Bowl. I followed your recipe perfectly and it came out awesome!!!! Thank you for giving me an excuse to keep extra Quinoa around. It really is so delicious. I just discovered your blog and I love it! Can’t wait to read about your upcoming nuptials.

Hi! This looks amazing and I think my children would love it. I am just wondering if I can substitute the sugar for something else? (apple sauce, banana, dates?) any feedback on this would be great! Thank you!

Someone else commented and said they used honey in place of the sugar (1/2 cup- I think) so you could try that. It always a risk to alter gluten-free recipes like this but you never know until you try. Let us know how it turns out if you do!

Absolutely in love with this recipe!! Tastes amazing, you can’t even tell it’s quinoa. I used coconut palm sugar in place of white sugar and it worked very well! I also added vanilla extract to the icing… Mmmmmm!

This is the most delicious chocolate cake ever invented! I kept my ingredients quiet, served it, watched the cake disappear,, saw second servings devoured,, I just smiled at finding this treasure! A must try! Thank you Sharon, a golden globe winner for me!

just made this tonight and it is amazingly tasty! thank you!
just wondering, have you tried putting the cooked and cooled quinoa in the blender (with the butters) first to get a finer consistency? i’m trying to pull the wool over my daughter’s eyes with this one and she thinks it’s chunky. maybe i’ll try adding choc chips next time to disguise it. ;)

oh, and i made these as cupcakes! filled the cupcake liner about 4/5 full (as they don’t rise well as you said) and cooked for 20 mins. came out perfect!

This cake is our new favorite! I approached it with trepidation but was surprised how easy it came together. I didn’t have to make altitude adjustments as I usually do for flour cakes. I couldn’t get the coconut milk to solidify in the frig so, since the temperature outside was -17C, I stuck it in a snow bank for 3 hours. Everyone loved the cake and it was literally gone in minutes! Thanks for posting it!

You can put all of the batter in one pan, that should be fine. For the icing, I want to say the Nutella will work but it’s hard to know for sure. I’m worried it won’t thicken as well. It’s risky but if it worked, it would be aaahhhhmazing. :)

I’ve now made this TWICE and both times were fantastic. Since we’re dairy, gluten and sugar free we did it two ways. 1st time used 1/2 cup stevia powder and 1/2 cup powdered xylitol (I grind mine in a coffee grinder to get powdered.) For the icing we used half the vegan chocolate chips recommended, some cocoa powder and a can of coconut cream rather than coconut milk. DELICIOUS! Second time around we used 3/4 stevia powder and 1/4 xylitol and it was fantastic. Icing only had 1/4 cup chocolate chips + cocoa powder and powdered xylitol and it was still yummy.

This cake was the bomb-diggity! I am a holistic health counselor who is GF (and soy-free) and this is the closest I’ve tasted to a “real” cake since 2008 when I still ate gluten. Hats off to you for this recipe! I replaced the sugar with https://www.coconutsecret.com/crystals2.html and it still came out great. I had several people taste it and they could not believe it was a quinoa cake! This will be my go-to for birthday cakes and recommendations to clients for special occasion treats. Keep up the good work!

I started this recipe and realized I didn’t have enough quinoa. So, I used brown rice instead. Same process: cooked it up and blended it with the wet ingredients. Still turned out really amazing!! I would suggest if you want to try this as a vegan recipe to substitute half your quinoa for brown rice and use egg replacer. The rice made it much thicker than the quinoa would have been. It will probably stay together better.

Hi Jody! Yes, you can cook the quinoa ahead of time. I made the cake and then ate it for the next 3 days and it still tasted amazing and was moist as ever so I don’t think you have to worry about that. Hope that helps! :)

I just veganized this cake and i can honestly say it was the best chocolate cake i’ve ever had and my family said the same! Well, I actually made them into cupcakes and then assembled them onto a plate and iced them to make it look like a cake only because I was worried it wouldn’t hold together as a cake. But as cupcakes they held up wonderfully and next time I am trying it as a whole cake. I used 4 flax eggs and it came out beautifully. 1 egg = 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons of water. I did 4 of these in one bowl whisked it really good and let sit in the fridge for 15 minutes or until a gel like consistency. I added the flax eggs when I was combing the blender mixture to the dry ingredients, I just mixed the “eggs” in. Seriously, it was amazing. I also topped off the whole thing with strawberries which I seriously recommend!!! Thank you for an awesome amazing recipe.

Best cake ever! Didn’t leave the coconut milk in the fridge overnight…but discovered you can leave it in the freezer while you make the cake (half hour or so) and it works just as well. Also, didn’t have parchment paper. Greasing the pan with coconut oil worked fine.

This is a wonderful, non-gritty cake that maintains it’s shape and consistency well when kept in the refrigerator.I put this through “Calorie Count” and it ends up being about 186 calories per piece if 20 pieces in a 9 x 13. I used butter and whole milk.

I have baked this cake numerous times from the Quinoa 365 cookbook. Have never had it with this really yummy looking icing though- it is good on it’s own. I have also never soaked the quinoa overnight first, so it has a slightly crunchy?/chewy texture that my kids don’t always like- so thank you for the soaking overnight tip!!

Made this today with flax egg and it came out great! I let it cool completely before taking it out of the pan and stuck it in the freezer for an hour before frosting. I doubled the recipe and made 3 layers in 9″ round pans and frosted with a dark chocolate peanut butter fudge frosting and it holds together pretty good with the sturdy frosting.

Made this cake for an event yesterday because gluten-free people were attending. Oh my goodness it is so amazing. So what other recipes can you come up with using cooked quinoa and coconut…how about banana bread?

Do you think you could keep this batter in the fridge or freezer?
Also, I made them as cupcakes (and only had 3 eggs on hand) and they turned out great! It made 18 cupcakes of 1/4 cup batter each baked for 14-16 minutes. I let them cook in the pan for 2 minutes before putting them on a cooling rack.
Thank you for sharing this!

Just made this. The finished product was not quite as successful as I had hoped, unfortunately. 1/2 cup of dry quinoa yielded me a little less than 2 cups of cooked quinoa, probably closer to 1 2/3 cups. But I decided to omit the melted coconut oil and just use the butter, in case the cake was too liquid-y to bake!
The cake has a bit of a bitter taste – not sure what that could be from. Thoughts?
The frosting is absolutely divine, though – I might just make a bowl of that and eat it separately!Hillary recently posted…The Struggle for Power over Women’s Fertility

I made the cake the other day, I made a different frosting though and I shared the cake with neighbours who have kids that refuse to eat Quinoa, they had NO Clue the cake was quinoa & loved it & wanted more. I did have to use 3/4 cup of uncooked quinoa (mine was organic Quinoa and there wasn’t enough in the recipe so I made more before making the cake. 3/4 cup uncooked was perfect though.

I didn’t have any coconut milk so what I did was use this recipe that is dairy free, and only has 3 ingredients, chocolate chips, coconut oil, & vanilla & OMG it is sooooooooo good, and in the cake I substituted Coconut sugar for the white sugar & it worked awesome.
Sarah is it ok to print the recipe & share it with neighbours that loved the cake
we have Nver had a chocolate cake that is as moist as this one is. The cooked quinoa is wonderful than you so much for such a devine recipe :)

I was so disappointed as the quinoa you suggested 1/2 cup making 2 cups of cooked quinoa didnt work for me and so I had to cook extra and it was gritty as i didnt have time to soak it , waste of ingredients really.:(

Sorry about the confusion! I’ve updated the recipe to show 3/4 cup dry quinoa instead. I’m not sure why your quinoa was gritty though. Soaking it is not a necessary step. I just prefer it that way for digestion purposes.

Made it today, haven’t eaten it yet. Usually when I bake a cake I do a “toothpick test” to see if it’s done — the toothpick’s supposed to come out clean. I baked this cake for 40 minutes in a 13×9 pan and it never passed the toothpick test — eventually I decided to just take it out, especially as the edges of the cake were pulling away from the edges of the pan (another standard done-ness test). Should I avoid the toothpick test when making this? The comments about fudginess and similarity to brownies make me think that probably the toothpick test should not be applied here.

This was outrageously yum and I will keep the recipe forever! Thank you. Do you have a carrot cake recipe with quinoa in it? Or ideas on how to modify a recipe? Hoping to make it tomorrow so your quick response is appreciated!

Hi Leah! I don’t have any other cake recipes that use cooked quinoa, only quinoa flour. I tried experimenting with coconut flour in place of the cocoa powder as well as honey instead of sugar and the texture was gritty. I need to experiment some more. I’ll let you know if I’m able to come up with something else!

Hi Meghan! Unfortunately, I don’t think the texture would be the same. The blender helps break the quinoa up so that the cake doesn’t turn out chewy with little bits in it. A food processor would likely work though, if you happen to have one.

Substitute the sugar for coconut sugar. I have replaced all my sugar with it and it is divine! You also typically do not use as much, I use 25-50% less depending on the use. Coconut sugar doesn’t spike your glycemic index or cause inflammation, great for diabetics and has all the wonderful benefits of coconut! Give it a try!

I have made this cake twice in the past three days (it gets consumed almost as fast as I can make it!) Neither time have I had the inclination or patience to wait for the icing to cool in the fridge so have let it cool for around half an hour in the fridge and then spread it like ganache. Ohhhhh, heaven…..

We live in Germany, and finding gluten-free baked goods that are yummy and not full of vile additives, or made primarily from corn starch – ick, is really difficult. I used red quinoa because it was the only one I could find with the GF stamp on it. Also, I couldn’t find any certified GF chocolate chips, so I used unsweetened bakers chocolate along with some frosting sugar for the icing. This cake was superb! It weighed a ton, so I was concerned it was going to be another heavy, dense, uninspired GF cake: boy was I wrong! I brought it to a dinner party, and it was an immense hit. I squirred some away for myself for the next day – still just as spectacular! Thank you so much!!!

This is the first time I have ever taken the time to post a comment because this recipe warrants it! I’m telling everyone, this is THE BEST GLUTEN-FREE dessert I have ever had. (Even my hubby who is very fussy about his chocolate cake and thinks gluten-free is punishment, loved it!) I am a wholistic practitioner and will be recommending this to all my clients who require a gluten free lifestyle. The one change I made is that I did not use white sugar as the sweetener. Anyways, KUDOS KUDOS!!!

Is 1 C of sugar what can be used instead of the 1 C of cane juice? And 3/4 C butter versus the coconut oil and earth balance? Looks fabulous and I like that it is gluten free. Thank you lots for posting!

Hey, I made the cake, (finally!) :) and it turned out amazing!!! I’m egg free, so I used gelatin to replace the eggs and it worked great! I am so gonna be making this again. Thank you SO much for posting the recipe.

Sorry for the fail. That’s always a bummer! I’ve had a few people comment and say that replacing the eggs with ground flax seed has worked. I would imagine they used 4 flax eggs in place of the regular eggs. I think that’s definitely worth a try!

Yes, one flax egg is 1 tablespoon ground flax seed + 3 tablespoon water. You mix it together and allow it to set for about 15 minutes in the refrigerator, then it will be thick like the consistency of an egg.

I would add them to the bowl after mixing the blended quinoa/milk with the cocoa powder.

MercyApril 1, 2014, 9:50 am

Hey Nikki, I use gelatin to replace eggs in baking and so far its worked well. Use unflavored gelatin. Dissolve 1 packet of gelatin into 1 cup of boiling water. The ratio of gelatin to egg is 3 1/2 tablespoons to replace 1 egg. You want to use it while its liquid, because it gels up real fast. Hope that helps! :)

This is by far one of the best gluten free cakes I have ever eaten! My sister and I just made it today for my dad’s birthday. My mom has to be gluten free and my sister has to be sugar free, so instead of sugar we used 3/4 cup of agave syrup, and instead of the coconut oil (simply because we forgot to buy it) we used applesauce. We also decided to make a butter cream frosting with the agave syrup which turned out great! The cake was phenomenal!

Follow on from my previous email. I just realised the cane juice has replaced the cup if sugar (I’ve been making this recipe for a while now and was floored just now when I read cane juice and thought…..I’ve been skipping that out if the recipes????? What does adding the juice do to the texture/moisture of the cake? Does it change it? Ps. Love this recipe, have vowed never to use normal recipe ever again!

Oh! Sorry for the confusion. I changed it because I was getting a lot of questions about replacing white sugar and I actually used organic evaporated cane juice when I made it so I wanted to update it to reflect that. It isn’t actually juice; it’s the same consistency as sugar. I’m so glad you like the recipe! :)Sarah recently posted…Black Bean Harissa Burgers

Yes I did! I had questions about substitutions for the white sugar and I actually used evaporated cane juice (which is essentially the same thing as sugar, just less processed) so I changed it to reflect that. But it is still the same amount! :)

Any thoughts on replacing the earth balance/butter/coconut oil with 3/4 cup palm oil? Lactose and sunflower allergies eliminate the use of either butter or earth balance for me! (also intolerant to banana and apples – no fruit replacements okay either!)

I just made this yesterday and all I have to say is OMG!! So delish! And really quite easy to make….as someone who loves to bake and cook I really enjoyed this one!! The icing is so awesome that I can really see myself using this from now on for any chocolate icing….SO good!! Thanks for sharing!

This recipe turned out great. I would suggest using the coconut milk that is thinner, for the 1/3 cup milk in the recipe….that way it doesn’t get wasted. Also, I found the cake a bit salty, then realized I had used salted butter and added salt, so omit salt if using salted butter :) Cake is nice and moist and fluffy! Great flavor!

Made this today for my son’s birthday and it was definitely kid approved…they all loved it and had no idea what was in it! I used sucanat as my sweetener and it worked great. Frosting was best I’ve ever had!!!

I just want to add a comment that the Ingredients List doesn’t actually say that this cake needs sugar. So my first batch was TERRIBLE and I couldn’t understand what I had missed. Then as I read through the blog post, I realized that the sugar was missing.

I’ve made this cake a few times now and it’s incredible! Thank you so much for a chocolate cake recipe that I have nothing to feel guilty for and won’t upset my dietary restrictions. My junk food lovin’ teenager took a bite of it the first time I made it and crinkled up her face and said “this should NOT be this good”. :) Oh my… I just can’t thank you enough. I just made some icing for the next one to take to our family Easter dinner tomorrow and I added sea salt to it. Delicious!!

Just made this for Easter using carob in place of chocolate and finely ground monk fruit sweetener. I could’ve devoured the cake batter! My entire loved this cake. I used the coconut milk icing…no chocolate but dusted a little carob powder over a cake stencil. It looked pretty and tasted soooooooo good. Thanks!

Ok so I made this once with my ninja blender and the cake was really good, but it did have whole quinoa in it because the ninja didn’t blend them. Still good, just didn’t like that texture and the chunkiness of it. The second time I made it I made it with my (new) vitamix. OH EM GEE. Obviously the vitamix pulverized all of the quinoa and the cake came out moist, creamy, deliciousness I can’t even begin to describe. It was the best cake I have ever had!! So I would definitely recommend a high powered blender for this! Thank you for the recipe, this will be my go to anytime I want chocolate cake!

I have made this cake twice – both times delicious..but..it’s very flat/thin/small..anyone else’s?? Like I do 2 layers but each layer isn’t even an inch tall probably…anybody else? Other than that- delish!

I just made this today for my sister-in-law who can not eat gluten. She thought this was the best cake she’s had since being diagnosed 3 years ago. My nieces agreed!! And even us gluten consumers thought it was quite tasty! Thank you!

This is truly a divinely decadent cake, and so easy to make! I’ve made it twice now and it’s been a huge hit both times.

I did find the icing too sweet for my taste, so instead I topped it with whipped cream (unsweetened) plus stewed sour cherries in brandy – a variation on Black Forest cake. The cream & cherries complemented the chocolate beautifully. I like the cherries on the tart side, but if you prefer them sweeter, stew them with a bit of sugar or honey.

I just found this and it looks delicious! I am gluten free but I also just found out I am also allergic to coffee and chocolate. Can you suggest another flavoring for this cake and the frosting? I love coconut so I can definitely make a coconut icing but thought you might have another recommendation for the cake itself. Thanks!!Laverne recently posted…Confessions V

Hi Laverne! I’m sorry to hear you’re allergic to chocolate. That’s rough! I’ve been working on a vanilla version of this cake for a while with no luck yet. I tried using raw buckwheat groats and blanched almonds ground into flour in place of the cocoa powder but it turned out a little too moist. The problem is that cocoa powder is very drying and high in fat so finding something to replace that is tricky.

I’ll be posting a recipe for an vanilla almond flour cake soon which is gluten-free so that might be a good alternative for you. Check back within the next few weeks and I’ll have it up on my site.

What a great recipe! Use palm sugar and ener g egg replacer and cake texture was super! Trader Joe’s has canned coconut cream, so I used that and the frosting was fabulous! Thank you so much for this recipe!

Made a lemon cake following the basics of your recipe. Replaced cocoa powder with coconut flour and added lemon extract along with zest and lemon juice. Texture not at rich as chocolate cake, but really good :)
Also, used white chocolate (ended up using Lindt as I couldn’t find vegan white chocolate chips and didn’t really want to search too hard) along with zest and extract with the coconut cream – excellent flavor!
I love this recipe! Thanks, again!

Wow, that sounds delicious!! I was actually just writing my next post for a gluten-free almond flour cake and I was saying how much I’ve struggled to make a vanilla version of this one. I tried it with coconut flour too but I used honey in place of the sugar which didn’t work out so well. I’ll have to try the coconut flour with sugar next time and see how it works out!

Hi, I just have to share. My sister has celiac disease and I have tried many recipes over the years for her. Often times they are bad, or she likes them but everyone else in the family can spot the impostor. This is the ONLY recipe that everyone in the family not only enjoys but fights over the last piece. THank you for sharing!

This is sooo good! I am Paleo, but do eat quinoa on rare occasions. I have tried so many cakes using alternative flours, but it’s just always been disappointing. Until now! I was able to enjoy cake for the first time in years. My mom even liked it, and she is very picky about baked goods. The frosting is divine. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I have since made quinoa coconut chocolate chunk cookies and quinoa cocoa cinnamon bread. I am so inspired! Now to figure out how to do a vanilla version…………

Robyn- I’m so excited about this cake too, just make it tonight and wow! I have so many food allergies that I had to modify the cake some. I prayed it would come out and it did! I would really like your recipe for the quinoa cocoa cinnamon bread! That I’m interested in as well.

I just made this cake! OMG!!! Talk about chocolate! I can’t have chocolate so I used carob powder. I also used just egg whites because I could not have egg yolks. I added some egg replacer just in case. It came out wonderful! I can have cake again!!!! I also need to soak my quinoa like you said to do. I was just so excited to make it. I make a cream cheese icing for it since I can’t have coconut. I used Tofutti cream cheese. Awesome!!!! I also just used 3/4 cup fleshmann’s margarine because I can’t have butter or marjarine. I’m just so excited!!! I’m stumbling all over myself with glee!

Sarah: Thank you so so much for this recipe. Five years ago, my daughter unable to eat anything but protein and vegetables. She is now TOTALLY healed and vowed the day she would be eating a scrumptious chocolate cake and “….smashing her face into it…:My daughter is the only other person I have ever heard say this other than yourself. She will be making it soon.

After reading other comments I decided this was worth a try. I needed a last minute gluten free chocolate cake recipe for dinner at my in-laws and was shocked to see something made with quinoa. I figured it was worth a shot b/c they always have other desserts there anyways. OMG what a hit! This cake came out so incredibly delicious! Every single person, from my 4 year old son to my 75 year old junk food lover father in law thought it was 1 of the most delicious cakes they’ve ever had. Like myself, they actually liked that this cake was made w/quinoa b/c it gave it some nutrients. I will be trying more of your recipes!

I just made this cake and am having trouble with the icing! I used 10 oz. of Ghiardelli semisweet chocolate chips and full fat coconut milk (almost the whole can was cream – 150 calories per 1/3 cup). The coconut milk was in the fridge overnight, and after mixing it with the melted chocolate the mixture stayed in the fridge for a whole day and night. After whipping for at least 2-3 minutes it is still very liquid! It is like a thin cake batter, I could pour it. It was not thickening at all and I was worried it was getting to warm so I have put it back into the freezer now and am hoping for it to stiffen up so I can try to whip it again.

I see that you posted you only need to whip it for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Any idea what might have gone wrong? Has anyone else had this happen? Thank you for any tips, I will update if I get it to work.

I’m sorry to hear about the trouble Dana! The only thing I can think is that maybe you added too much coconut milk. There should have been a decent amount of liquid left in the can after you separated the cream. Was the color of the icing lighter than my picture? That would be another indicator that you used too much milk.

Also, you shouldn’t have to whip it for so long. Doing that could definitely be warming it and causing it to thin out but I’m not sure if that’s the problem.

Hi Sarah, thank you for your prompt reply! No, it is about the same color or maybe even a little darker. The can was about 90% solid, which I scooped out and about 10% liquid at the bottom that I did not use.

If the freezer doesn’t work to firm it up I do have another two cans of coconut milk in the fridge. I might try to whip those two up on their own, and then maybe add a bit of my chocolately liquid from the original frosting to chocolate it up a bit.

Any troubleshooting ideas on how I could salvage this icing or thicken it at this point? Thanks again!

I think trying to get it as cold as possible is the best option. The chocolate helps it to solidify when it’s cold so you could always add more chocolate. Although it seems like you should have had enough, assuming you used the same amount as me.

It’s hard to say what went wrong without being in-person, I’m sorry I can’t be of more help!

DanaAugust 14, 2014, 12:47 pm

Thank you for your suggestions Sarah! The freezer did not work. It sort of froze it but when it warmed it was liquid again. I ended up using BOTH of my other cans of coconut milk (they were two different brands, so one was mostly cream and the other was about half cream, half milk). It whipped up into a nice whipped topping. I added some of the chocolate liquid to it because I didn’t have more chocolate chips and didn’t have time to head to the store. It made it taste a little chocalatey and was more firm than the original as long as it was cooled in the fridge. I haven’t served it yet but am going to encourage people to eat quick before it melts. It looks good and tastes good but isn’t really an icing.

I will definitely try this again with maybe a different brand of coconut milk. The first brand I used in the chocolate mixture was Chaokoh. The next two brands I used were Chef’s Choice and Hawaiian Sun. All are products of Thailand. Since I didn’t see these brands used by other reader’s, here is some info: The Chef’s Choice had the most cream, followed by Chaokoh, and Hawaiian Sun the least (about 40-50% of the can; it also lists guar gum as an ingredient but the other’s don’t).

Hi Sarah,
I have made this cake few times already with great results. Have a question about quinoa. Have you ever tried red quinoa? Or do you know if it will result with altered taste of the cake?
Thanks!

Thanks so much for this recipe, it’s incredibly delicious. I have made it a few times now. I am really fussy so this is a huge compliment. My kids loved it too. The icing is fantastic but I have found it makes too much. Also adding less chocolate is better for kids. I have also made the icing by itself and served it as a desert in little pots with little spoons, or with strawberries to dip in. The texture is of the cake with the quinoa beads is what makes this cake so delicious and moist. The silky fudgy consistency of the icing rocks too. It’s really easy to make as well, which I love as I’m not the best baker in the world. I used butter as well as coconut oil. Might try out the date idea next or coconut sugar. We have cane sugar here – so hopefully no bone used it that? I only use the organic one anyway.

This is delicious! Everyone in my household of 7 is a fan of this cake and not all of them eat quinoa or like coconut! I took it to the office and it was well-received. Thank you for doing the work to adapt this recipe and for sharing it with us!

Hi Caroline! Here is a comment from another reader who has tried a vegan version:
“I just veganized this cake and i can honestly say it was the best chocolate cake i’ve ever had and my family said the same! Well, I actually made them into cupcakes and then assembled them onto a plate and iced them to make it look like a cake only because I was worried it wouldn’t hold together as a cake. But as cupcakes they held up wonderfully and next time I am trying it as a whole cake. I used 4 flax eggs and it came out beautifully. 1 egg = 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons of water. I did 4 of these in one bowl whisked it really good and let sit in the fridge for 15 minutes or until a gel like consistency. I added the flax eggs when I was combing the blender mixture to the dry ingredients, I just mixed the “eggs” in. Seriously, it was amazing. I also topped off the whole thing with strawberries which I seriously recommend!!! Thank you for an awesome amazing recipe.”

According to her, a cupcake version worked with flax eggs so it’s worth a try!

By the way, I’m not sure if you are aware but eggs are not considered dairy. Is he allergic to eggs or just dairy?

My daughter desperately wants a chocolate cake for her 17th birthday Friday, and I get to make it, but I am the one with celiac disease. I am going to try this one – it looks fabulous and the comments are very encouraging. I will let you know how it goes!

It really, really, really is every bit as good as they say it is. It’s one of the best chocolate cakes I’ve ever eaten, and I can eat cakes with gluten, AND I’m a baked-goods snob. I don’t think you’ll regret it.

This cake was delicious and so easy to make. I served it with an icing made of whipping cream, sugar and cacao powder, whipped until stiff, and I filled the middle of the cake with sliced strawberries and decorated the top with more and it was a big hit. I had a cup of quinoa left over and so I halved the recipe and made a pan of ‘brownies’ for my picky son and he loved them too.

Just wanted to give a shout-out to you, Sarah, and your blog and all the work you do responding to comments on this cake. The writers of Quinoa 365, to whom you give credit, should be thankful (rather than being negative). You have shared this recipe far and wide!

I am making this for my daughters 3 rd bday coming up. I can replace the chocolate for white chocolate in the icing recipe with no problem right?! :) i hope it works out good.. What do you think about pipping the icing on would turn out like?

Hi Anika, I think white chocolate would work just fine. If the icing turns out like it’s supposed to then you should be able to pipe it. I would recommend refrigerating it in the bag for an hour or so before hand so it’s nice and firm. Worst case scenario, if it doesn’t work, you can just slap on there instead. :)
I hope your daughter has a wonderful birthday!!

About the frosting, I didn’t have coconut milk last night and I’m amazing the cupcakes for today. Do you think it’s ok to put the coconut milk can in the freezer for a few hours to speed up hardening?
Thanks!

I’ve tried to do that and it usually just freezes the whole thing rather than separating the cream. You could probably do it for like 20 minutes and then put it in a cold spot in the fridge. Or another option would be to put it in the sink or a large pot filled with ice. That might help get it cold enough without freezing it.

These are fantastic! I love that you have reduced the sugar (compared to the original recipe) yet they still taste deliciously sweet! I made these into cupcakes for my daughter’s birthday party this morning. One recipe made 12 regular sized cupcakes and 8 mini cupcakes. Baked the regular sized ones for 23 minutes and the mini ones for 20 minutes. I added peanut butter frosting from The Realistic Nutritionist…and they taste like a Reeses!

Mmm, peanut butter icing sounds like a scrumptious addition! I just made the cake again over the weekend too but with a healthy German chocolate icing instead. It was delicious! I’ll be posting that one soon! :)

THANK YOU! I made this cake for my son’s first birthday today! it was a hit!!! i was so happy to find it last night! He has FPIES allergies to soy, milk, and all grains except quinoa …. so this cake was perfect!!!!! He smashed it up and ate away! I made him a small one and a big one for guests… and every single kid loved it!!! and the parents did too :) Thanks!

i felt silly. i misread the recipe and soaked more than needed amount of dry quinoa. do you know if i can store the remaining (uncooked) soaked quinoa for something else? does it have to be cooked right away? thanks!!! love your website by the way xx

I made this recipe into a birthday cake for my son who can’t have gluten or dairy. It’s an excellent recipe, however, my cuisinart was not enough to get the quinoa blended. I made two cakes, and the first I followed the directions to the letter, and then second, I blended the quinoa and fat first. Neither one was completely smooth. I will be making this again when I have replaced my broken blender.

The cake was amazing! My icing however was WAY darker than the photo, and it was a pudding consitency, just slid right off the cake in pools on the sides… I must’ve done something wrong because the picture looks delicious and mine literally tasted like chocolate pudding..

Hi Charlotte! I’ve had two readers say that flax eggs works (1T flax + 3T water) and also Ener-G egg replacer but it didn’t work for me when I tried it with a different egg replacer. If you end up trying it please let us know!

I tried this today using gelatin instead of eggs (my daughter is allergic). The texture was all wrong, I think I used too much gelatin. How much gelatin should I use? Should I try applesauce instead? I’m really hoping to figure this out soon for her birthday next week – flavor was delicious! Thanks for any help.

I’m sorry, Liz. I still haven’t heard back from her yet but I found this in the comments: Dissolve 1 packet of gelatin into 1 cup of boiling water. The ratio of gelatin to egg is 3 1/2 tablespoons to replace 1 egg. You want to use it while its liquid, because it gels up real fast.

On other sites, it says 1 tablespoon gelatin replaces one egg so I’m not sure why she uses so much but she claimed to have good results.

I hope you’re able to figure something out!

MercyFebruary 25, 2015, 6:23 am

Hey Liz,
Sorry I took so long to respond, I didn’t get Sarah’s email til just now. :( I can’t use eggs in any baking, so I mainly use gelatin to replace the eggs. It took some trial and error to figure out just the right ratio, but practice makes perfect. I had to try different amounts of water and gelatin for different recipes.Here’s how to do it: I use regular gelatin packets and use a whole packet per mixture. Mix 1/2 cup of boiling water with the packet of gelatin and mix it until all the gelatin is dissolved. You can use 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture per egg. It seems like a lot of liquid per egg, but it turns out great every time! :) I hope this helps you out, and I apologize again for responding so late!

I made this once before and though it didn’t hold together well, it was divine! I still had the quinoa texture so my first question is 1) do you have any tips for it holding together better? 2) if my quinoa is already bought pre-rinsed, do I still need to soak it and rinse as you recommend?
Thanks,
Jenn

Hi Jenn! As far it holding together, make sure you’re allowing it to cool completely (for an hour or two) before transferring it from the pan. Using parchment paper will help. I’ve also made this as cupcakes and those hold together perfectly so that’s another option.

The main reason I presoak the quinoa is to reduce the amount of phytic acid so no, it’s not a necessary step, although it might help improve the texture of the cake for you. I make sure to let my blender run for a while (a few minutes) to break up the bits of quinoa. I have a lower model Ninja (not a high powered blender) and it does a great job making the end texture flour-like, I just have to watch to make sure the mixture looks smooth before adding it to the cocoa.

The frosting is basically a non-dairy ganache (chocolate + cream). You can use any milk you like to make ganache – almond, cow, soy – you might just have to play with the proportions to get the right texture, but as long as you add the milk a little bit at a time, you really can’t go wrong!

Thanks for sharing this great recipe! I made the cake twice with different modifications and thought I’d report back since other people might be curious about what happens with these mods too.

Attempt #1 – I used 4 Tbs flax instead of eggs + maple syrup instead of sugar. It made the final texture of this cake kind of gummy; it also needed to cook longer.

Attempt #2 used the eggs, but still swapped the sugar for maple syrup. It came out incredibly moist and chocolaty and dense (not as dense as a brownie, just as dense as a really good dense cake). It held up well in the fridge over night (in my experience, even covered, cake dries out with refrigeration) and got rave reviews.

Also, both times, I used butter instead of coconut oil (didn’t want the strong coconut flavor) and red (brown?) quinoa instead of the more common light color because that was cheaper and we couldn’t taste it in the finished product. Given how moist it was, I think it’d be hard to make the maple syrup version into a layer cake. I also think it be very very hard to have just a 16th of this cake (as suggested to get to the 14 grams of sugar per serving) ;-) But, hey, it’s dessert and sugar is what we expect, nay, demand in baking :-)

Amazing so delicious it was so light and moist! I drizzled peanut butter over it for my boyfriend and he loved it! I’m curious though I would like to use cooked quinoa to make a carrot cake.. Any suggestions as to how to go about that?

It’s funny you say that because I just tried making a quinoa carrot cake recently but unfortunately it didn’t turn out. I tried replacing the cocoa powder with coconut flour and almond meal. An all-purpose gluten-free flour might work but I don’t usually purchase that since it’s not as nutritious.

Hi Vivian, I have tried making a vanilla version on several separate occasions without success. I’ve tried coconut flour and almond flour. If you’re not allergic to gluten, all-purpose flour may work in place of the cocoa powder. But simply eliminating the cocoa would not work.

Success! I used Pamela’s gluten free baking mix in place of cocoa, halved the baking powder and soda and it came out perfect! I found a recipe for dairy free Boston cream and put that inbetween the two cakes and frosted with your chocolate frosting recipe… Tonight is my best friend’s birthday where the cake will debut!

MollyApril 23, 2015, 8:49 pm

I would like to try this recipe but would prefer using all coconut oil as it compliments chocolate so well. I don’t like to use Earth Balance. Was there a specific reason you chose two different sources of fat?

This cake is so fantastic! I have made it twice now for company and everyone loves it and can’t guess that it isn’t a real flour cake. I wonder if it can be made into a vanilla cake or lemon cake. I was going to attempt experimenting with it today. And perhaps for the icing using vanilla chips with the coconut cream. When I make the chocolate one I put fresh raspberries on top, so delicious!

I just wanted to let you know that this is now a “go to” recipe in my house when I make cake. Everyone LOVES it. Kids love it because it’s cake and the adults love it because it’s DELISH without being overly sweet.

I made this last weekend for my daughter’s birthday because she had a friend come that has a wheat allergy. I was simply blown away by how delicious this cake was! The only thing I did differently in the cake was use a blend of Hershey’s special dark and regular cocoa powder (because that’s all I had) and frosted it with vanilla whipped cream. It tasted like an Oreo! My daughter, who usually hates cake, had 2 pieces! The adults raved about it. This one has been added to my recipe box. Thank you!

I just made this (currently typing with a mouth full of decadent deliciousness!!) and I am SO in love! I dont normally have success with baking gluten free things but this was so quick and simple, and totally not sinful to eat for breakfast, right?? I also added a tablespoon of cinnamon and a heaping teaspoon of cayenne powder to give it a little kick, and its fabulous! I also used all coconut sugar and it worked very well!
SO GOOD :)

I’m a pastry chef. I’ve made this cake many times now. I once forgot to blend the quinoa and it was like tapioca in it (texture). Anyone who has eaten it says it’s the best chocolate cake they’ve ever eaten. My husband will let me make no other recipe. Just this one. I do use coconut sugar (cup for cup substitution) and all organic ingredients and it is wonderful. I’ve made it as cupcakes, 1/2 sheet cake, 9×13, 2 – 8″ rounds and 2 – 9″ rounds. It doubles or 1 1/2’s well. I’ve filled it with ganache and fresh raspberries, topped with ganache, letting it run down the sides and whipped cream with mashed fresh raspberries folded into the cream. It is rich, moist, very chocolatey and dense. I use conventional chocolate buttercream when I just want a decorated frosting look and then sprinkle real gold flakes on top. I up the vanilla a bit and sometimes use almond extract in addition. Some tips: Rinse quinoa well before cooking to avoid strong quinoa flavor. A pinch of cinnamon will up and smooth the chocolate flavor even though it doesn’t need enhancing – just a pinch! Make ahead and freeze unfrosted cakes that have been wrapped well if you use whipping cream to frost and the cream will hold up longer when taken to a picnic/party. Use a sifted tablespoon of powdered sugar in addition to other sweetener to help stabilize the whipped cream if you frost with that. I never bring any home when I take this cake anywhere. Because of the richness, 1/2 the usual size slices are plenty, especially if served with ice cream or extra dollop of whipped cream. It’s one you will definitely want to make over and over!

Welcome! I’m Sarah and this is where I share my journey creating simple and seasonal vegetarian recipes. I love cooking with whole foods that give me the energy to keep up with a busy life. More About Me…